Rail armament and cars for loading and unloading ships direct to and from a railway-station.



P. DAMICO. RAIL ARMAMENT AND cm ron' LOADING AND UNLOADING sums umscrro AND-FROM A RAILWAY s-unou.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 25, 1916-- Patented Apr. 23, 1918,

a I m 2 SHEET$ HEET L J A I IH mr P.'DAMICO.

' RAIL ARMAMENT AND CAR FORLOADING AND UNLOADING SHiPS DIRECTTO AND FROM A RAILWAY STATION.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 26. 1916.

Patented. Apr. 23, 1918.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

Wrney PIETRO DAMICO, 0F MARSALA, ITALY.

RAIL ABMAMENT AND CARS FOR LOADING AND UNLOADING SHIPS DIRECT T0 AND FROM A RAILWAY-STATION.

ineaeai.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Apr. 23, 121%..

Application filed July 26, 1916. Serial No. 111,492.

To all whom it may concern."

Be it known that 1, Pierre DAMioo, a subject of the King of Italy, residing at Marsala, Italy, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Rail-Armament and Cars for Loading and Unloading Ships Direct to and from a Railway-Station, of which the following is a specification.

My present invention relates to improvements in rail armament and cars for loading and unloading ships direct to and from a railway station.

The said improvements are illustrated in the annexed drawings as follows:

Figure 1 is a plan view of a port where the improved invention is in use.

Fig. 2 is a longitudinal, vertical section through the canal which forms part of the invention.

Fig. 3 is a plan view of the same.

Fig. 4: is an enlarged vertical section on the line aa of Fig. 2.

In the said figures, A is the port, B the ships to be loading or unloading, C the water level in the canal. 1 is the canal constructed in the wharf, this canal having its major slope toward the sea. On the bed of this canal are fixed rails (2) which run to a railway station. In the more inclined part of the canal the rails (2) are on a movable floor 3 hinged to the rest of the canal at the point 4. This floor terminates in a Heat 5 rigid to it, which, while acting as a stop for V the car 6 in its descent, helps also to raise the said movable floor with the car in order to couple the latter to the boat-car 7 The raising of the said floor is ellected by means of the capstan 8 to which it is united by cables or chains 9. 10 is a slot to receive a sluice-lock when it is necessary to empty the canal for repairs.

11 is another capstan working the drum 12 between the rails, to which drum the cable 13 has one of its ends attached; the other end of the said cable is connected with. the car 6 carrying the b0at-car 7 14 is a locomotive for haulingthe boat-car; 15 and 16 are guides placed laterally along the canal to keep the boat-car 7 in its place; 17 is a supporting roller for the cable 13 when the latter unrolls.

The cars 6 are built so as to be able to receive the boat-car 7 within them. This boatcar may be built in various forms, though always with the view of its being coupled with the car 6, and must be overturnable for the purpose of unloading goods in a pile. Furthermore, the fastenings or doors of the said boat-car should be of corrugated plate folding back at the sides, or in some other convenient way. 7

The operation of the device in loading and unloading ships in port is as follows:

Let us suppose that a given number of boat-cars are ready laden, the contents of which are to be put on board certain steamers anchored in port or in the roadstead, there being also other steamers lying there for unloading. The cable 13 is first grappled to a boat-car 6-7 standing on the neighboring track. By setting the capstan 11 in action, the car approaches the capstan and hence to the beginning of the canal 1.

When the boat-car has got as far as this. the cable 18 is taken oil the side by which the said boat-car was being hauled, and hooked onto the other side. Then the car descends by its own weight into the canal, and the cable 13, which atfirst had rolled up 011 the drum 12, unrolls, and by means of a brake governing the capstan, regulates the cars descent until the bufiers touch the float 5 of the movable floor 3 and stop it. (Fig. 2 dotted lines). The movable floor, because of the added weight of the load, sinks down (Fig. 2, full line), and leaves the boat-car 7 free, which remains floating on the water in the canal 1 communicating with the sea, while the car 6 still stands on the submerged movable floor. It thus follows that the boat-car 7, urged by its own weight in coming down the canal, and by oars or a tug, is brought alongside the steamer which is loading. I

As soon as the said car has issued into the port, another boat-car ready loaded enters the mouth of the canal, and meeting the car 6 with one of its ends raised, strikes it, and is stopped just between the guides 15 and 16.

Thereupon the capstan 8 operates and lifts the movable floor 3 on which the car 6 stands, and the latter is then coupled with the boat-car 7, the whole then being in a horizontal position. Then the cable end, or chain, 13 is taken on the drum 12 of the capstan 11, and hooked onto the locomotive 1a. The latter hauls all out of the canal and onto one of the railway-lines, where a train may be put together. It is to be noted that the movable floor remains in the horizontal position, thanks to the float 5, ready to receive a fresh car. i

By repeating the above operations, the direct transit of goods from the station to the steamer, and vice versa is effected.

As may be seen in the figures, the chief object of the'i'nvention is that of eliminating the present inconvenience of loading and unloading ships by very slow and costly means, of doing away with so much manual labor in these operations in ports, and hence of profitably utilizing the utmost of all the water surface in the port.

Rapidity in unloading and loading .is effected by ships, on account of the continual succession of boat-cars, which, when once full, are immediately taken into the canal, and arranged by simple and quick movements on the track so as to make up trains ready for any destination, together with the rapid succession of others which, coming down on the canals permanent way, are immediately conveyed with ears or tugs to the sides of the ship. A further advantage is in doing away with lighters, goods-barges, cranes, dead metals, and so on; and, given the rapidity of loading and unloading, any lengthy stay of steamers in port is obviated.

Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I claim is:

1. In an apparatus for loading and unloading ships direct to and from a railway station, the combination of an inclined track Whichhas its lower end submerged, a depressible floor disposed at the lower end of the said track and having a track section in prolongation of the latter, and yieldable means for maintaining the said floor in ele vated position when it bears no load.

2. In an apparatus for loading and unloading ships direct to and from a railway station, the combination of an inclined track which has its lower end submerged, a depressible floor disposed at the lower end of the said track and having a track section in prolongation of the latter, yieldable means for maintaining the said floor in elevated position when it bears no load, and means for lifting the said floor when loaded. 7

3. In an apparatus for loading and unloading ships direct to and from railway station, the combination of an inclined track which has its lower end submerged, a depressible floor disposed at the lower end of 7 I the said track and having a track section in prolongation of the latter, yieldable means for maintaining the said floor in elevated position when it bears no load, and boatcar guides mounted above the said floor.

4:. In an appar'atus'for loading and un- Copies of this patent may be obtained for loading ships direct to and from a railway station, the combination of an inclined track which has its lower end submerged, a depressible floor pivotally connected with the lower end of the said track and having a track section in prolongation of the latter, and yieldable means for maintaining the free end of the said floor elevated when it bears no load.

5. In an apparatus for loading and unloading ships direct to and from a railway station, the combination of an inclined track which has its lower end submerged, a depressible floor disposed at the lower end of the said track and having a track section in prolongation of the latter, and a float connected with the said floor and adapted to suspend the same in elevated position when it bears no load.

6. In an apparatus for loading and unloading ships direct to and from a railway station, the combination of an inclined track which has its lower end submerged, a depressiblc floor disposed at the lower end of the said track and having a track section in prolongation of the latter, and a float rigidly connected with the said floor and rising therefrom at the end of the track section to form a bumper.

7. In an apparatus for loading and unloading ships direct to and from a railway station, the combination of a canal opening into a port; an inclined track which has its lower end submerged in the water of the canal, a depressible floor disposed in the canal at the lower end of the said track and having a track section in prolongation of the latter, yieldable means adapted to maintain the said floor in elevated position when it bears no load, and hoisting means for the said floor comprising a capstan mounted on the sides of the canal, and draft members connecting the floor with the capstan.

8. In an apparatus for loading and unloading ships direct to and from a railway station, the combination of a canal opening into a port, an inclined track extending into the canal and having its lower end submerged, a depressible floor disposed in the canal at the lower end of the said track and having a track section in prolongation of the latter, and boat-car guides rigidly mounted on the opposite sides of the canal above the said floor.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in presence of two subscribing witnesses.

PIETRO DAMICO.

Witnesses NIcoLo PATERINTO, Iennzro LOUIS.

Washington, D. G. 

